Non-invasive roof mounting adaptor and method for installing same

ABSTRACT

A mounting adapter for attaching an object to a flat surface includes an anchor plate having a plurality of first apertures extending therethrough. Each first aperture is configured to receive a first elongated fastener having a length sufficient to fasten to a support structure located beneath the surface for attaching the anchor plate thereto. A plurality of threaded apertures is formed in the anchor plate. A cover plate is positioned over the anchor plate and has a plurality of third apertures that align with the plurality of threaded apertures in the anchor plate. A threaded fastener extends through each third aperture and is threadedly engaged with the second threaded apertures of the anchor plate for securely attaching the cover plate to the anchor plate. One or more fourth apertures are formed in the cover plate and configured to receive a third fastener for attaching the object to the mounting adapter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/645,230, filed May 10, 2012, the content of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to support apparatus, and morespecifically to mounting adapters for supporting equipment and hardwaredevices typically found on a roof top of a building or in direct contactwith the ground, and installing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commercial and residential buildings often have flat top roofs and/orslightly sloped roof tops, as opposed to high-pitched roofs that aretypically observed on many types of residential houses (e.g., colonial,cape, ranch, Tudor and other styles of houses). The flat top roofs onsuch buildings or other edifices avail themselves for installing varioustypes of equipment that are used by the owners and/or tenants of thebuildings. Such “equipment” can include air conditioning units, heatexchangers, water towers, protective railings, piping, photovoltaic(solar) panels, communications antennae, among other equipment andhardware devices typically installed on roof surfaces, and especiallyflat top roofs.

Securing the equipment is typically implemented by providing a frame orchassis to support the equipment on the roof. The frame or chassis ispreferably provided by the equipment manufacturer or can be customconfigured in accordance to local building codes and standards tosupport the equipment. Anchor devices are then used as interfaces forsecuring the frame or chassis to the decking of the roof. For example, aframe or chassis having four support legs would first require fouranchor devices to be installed at a selected location on the flat toproof corresponding to each support leg. Thereafter, the frame/chassis ispositioned over the four anchor devices to enable the installer toproperly attach the four support legs to a corresponding anchor device.

Referring to the FIG. 1, a perspective view of a prior art anchor device100 is illustratively shown being installed on a roof deck 110.Installing the anchor devices that are presently available in thecommercial market requires the equipment technician and/or roofer topenetrate the roof surface including, for example, the roof covering 112or membrane and insulation 116 therebelow, and attach the anchor device100 directly to a roof structural member 114, such as a rafter orstructural decking. More specifically, when retrofitting anchor devicesinto an existing membrane or covering 112 on a roof 110, a significanthurdle is that the anchoring devices 100 must be secured directly to thestructural decking 114 or structural members below the roof covering 112to provide ample support for the equipment. This is especially true foranchor devices 100 which need to withstand lateral loads. Mounting thesetypes of anchor devices 100 typically requires cutting through the roofmembrane 112 and creating an opening 118 in the insulation 116 to exposethe building's structural deck 114 or other structural components hiddenbeneath the roof.

This type of invasive operation compromises the integrity of the roofcovering and necessitates some type of roof repair or patching work,which often creates “difficult to flash” penetrations. Additionally,flashing of the prior art anchor devices 100 frequently cannot beaccomplished with roof manufacturer's approved procedures. Therefore,there is a need for a non-invasive roof mounting adaptor that does notrequire removal of the roof surface layers and insulation to expose theunderlying roof decking and/or support structures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the embodiments of the invention described herein,the deficiencies of the prior art are overcome by a non-invasive, selfsealing, structural roof mount adapter as illustratively shown anddescribed herein. The roof mount adapter of the present invention can bemounted to any generally flat surface portion of a roof. Furthermore,the roof mount adapter is highly suitable for being topically applied toa low slope or flat, insulated, membrane roof cover system, and withoutthe need for “invasive” cutting through the roof membrane and/orinsulation to access the deck or structural components that are normallyhidden below the roof covering. A roof mount adapter of the presentinvention can be utilized at specific locations along the roof wherevernecessary to retain and provide adequate support for the equipment beinginstalled on the roof. For example, a solar panel or air conditioningunit having a frame with four support legs can be secured to the roofsurface by using four corresponding roof mount adapters of the presentinvention as illustratively shown and described herein.

Each roof mount adapter includes a “captive fastener head” feature whichenables the use of standard, commercially available roof fasteners tostructurally connect the roof mount adapter through the full thicknessof a roof cover system to a variety of common roof decks or structuralbuilding components. The solid connection from roof mount adapter'sposition above the roof, through the “soft” non-structural, roof andinsulation system to the solid support structure below has the abilityto manage load forces in one or more directions and/or orientations,including forces in the lateral (shearing), downward (compression),and/or upward (tension) directions, and without damaging the roof and/orcompressing the insulation.

The roof mount adapters' unique design, along with the well-knownroofing fasteners and gaskets self-seal to nearly all common roofmembrane systems, and without the need for patching the roof, orapplying roof flashings or special roof membrane flashings kits tomaintain weather proofing as seen with the prior art adapter devices. Byutilizing standard, commercially available roof fasteners, the roofmount adapter of the present invention can accommodate roof andinsulation thickness variances, for example, in a range of one-quarter(¼″) inch to fifteen (15″) inches thick, although such thickness are notlimiting. Once installed, the roof mount adapter of the presentinvention can be used as a structural mounting point for a multitude ofroof top equipment mounting needs.

In one embodiment, the present invention is a mounting adapter forattaching an object to a generally flat surface. The mounting adaptercomprises a generally planar anchor plate having an upper surface and alower surface, and a plurality of first apertures extending therethroughthe upper and lower surfaces. Each first aperture is configured toreceive a first elongated fastener having a length sufficient to extendtherethrough the anchor plate and securely fasten to a support structurepositioned beneath the generally flat surface. Further, each of aplurality of second apertures extends at least through the upper surfaceof the anchor plate. Alternatively, each of the plurality of secondapertures extends therethrough the upper and lower surfaces of theanchor plate. A generally planar cover plate having an upper surface anda lower surface, which is positioned over the upper surface of theanchor plate. The cover plate includes a plurality of third aperturesextending therethrough the upper and lower surfaces of the cover plate.The plurality of third apertures corresponds to and is positioned inalignment with the plurality of second apertures of the anchor plate.That is, each third aperture is aligned with a corresponding one of theplurality of second apertures. A second fastener extends through each ofthe third apertures and is securely engaged with a corresponding one ofthe plurality of second apertures of the anchor plate for securelymounting the cover plate over the anchor plate. The cover plate furtherincludes one or more fourth apertures formed in at least the uppersurface of the cover plate. Each fourth aperture is configured toreceive a corresponding third fastener for securing the object to themounting adapter (200).

In one aspect, the mounting adapter further includes a ring cover havingan outer portion circumscribing the anchor plate and an inner portionpositioned between the lower surface of the cover plate and the uppersurface of the anchor plate. A ring gasket can be positioned between anupper surface of the inner portion of the ring cover and the lowersurface of the cover plate.

In yet another aspect, the mounting adapter includes a gap formedbetween the lower surface of the cover plate and the upper surface ofthe anchor plate. The gap is formed by a head portion of each firstelongated fastener extending upwardly from the upper surface of theanchor plate. In this manner, the lower surface of the cover plateprovides a resultant force vector on the head and along the longitudinalaxis of each first elongated fastener. That is, the load from the objectis preferably transferred though the head and shank of each firstelongated fastener to an underlying roofing deck or structure, therebyminimizing damage and/or crushing of the roof membrane and/or roofinsulation underneath the present roof mount adapter.

In one aspect, each first aperture includes a counter-bore for receivinga head portion of a corresponding one of the plurality of firstelongated fasteners. In still another aspect, the second apertures ofthe anchor plate and the corresponding aligned third apertures of thecover plate are spaced equidistantly apart from each other. In yetanother aspect, each of the plurality of second apertures is a threadedaperture and each second fastener is a correspondingly dimensionedthreaded bolt.

In another aspect, the cover plate and the anchor plate include a keyingarrangement for aligning the cover plate over the anchor plate.

In yet another aspect, one or more fourth apertures extend through atleast a portion of the upper surface of the cover plate, and each fourthaperture is configured to receive a corresponding one of the thirdfasteners. In still another aspect, the one or more fourth aperturesextend through the upper and lower surfaces of the cover plate, and eachfourth aperture is configured to receive a corresponding one of thethird fasteners extending upright from the upper surface of the coverplate. Preferably, the one or more fourth apertures are threadedapertures and each third fastener is a bolt.

In still another aspect, the anchor plate can include one or more fifthapertures extending through at least a portion of the upper surface ofthe anchor plate. Each fifth aperture is aligned with a correspondingone of the fourth apertures (234) and configured to receive a headportion of the third fastener for attaching the object to the mountingadapter.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a mounting adapter forattaching an object to a mounting surface comprises a generally planaranchor plate having opposing planar surfaces and a plurality of firstapertures extending therethrough the opposing surfaces, and a pluralityof threaded apertures extending therethrough the opposing surfaces ofthe anchor plate. The plurality of first apertures are configured anddimensioned to receive a first elongated fastener having a lengthsufficient to extend and securely fasten to a support structure locatedbeneath the mounting surface to attach the anchor plate to the mountingsurface. A generally planar cover plate having opposing planar surfacesis configured for mounting over the anchor plate. The cover plateincludes a plurality of third apertures which are configured andarranged to align with the plurality of threaded apertures of the anchorplate. A threaded fastener extends through each of the plurality ofthird apertures and threadedly engages with each respective threadedaperture of the anchor plate to securely attach the cover plate to theanchor plate such that a gap is formed therebetween the generally planaranchor and cover plates. One or more third fasteners are configured tointerface with the one or more fourth apertures of the cover plate forattaching the object to the mounting adapter.

In still another embodiment, a method is provided for attaching anobject to a mounting surface with a mounting adapter which comprises ananchor plate having a plurality of first apertures and a plurality ofsecond apertures; a cover plate having a plurality of third aperturesextending therethrough, each third aperture configured to align with acorresponding second aperture of the anchor plate, and at least onefourth aperture configured to receive a corresponding third fastener;and wherein the method comprises the steps of positioning the anchorplate on the mounting surface at a predetermined location; inserting anelongated fastener through a corresponding one of the first apertures;securing each elongated fastener to a predetermined support structurepositioned beneath the mounting surface for attaching the anchor plateto the mounting surface; mounting the cover plate over the anchor platesuch that each of the plurality of third apertures is positioned andaxially aligned with each of the corresponding plurality of secondapertures of the anchor plate; inserting a second fastener through acorresponding one of the third apertures; securing each second fastenerto a corresponding second aperture in the anchor plate for firmlyattaching the cover plate to the anchor plate; and securing at least onethird fastener to a corresponding one of the at least one fourthaperture for attaching the object to the mounting adapter.

In one aspect, the method further comprises the steps of installing abase gasket on the mounting surface at the predetermined location priorto positioning the anchor plate thereon; and positioning a lower surfaceof the anchor plate on the base gasket.

In another aspect, the method further comprises the step of mounting aring cover over the anchor plate prior to mounting the cover plate. Inone aspect and prior to mounting the ring cover, an adhesive is appliedto an area of the mounting surface which circumscribes the anchor plate.In still another aspect, the method further comprises the step ofmounting a gasket seal over the cover ring prior to mounting the coverplate.

In a further aspect, the method comprises the step of tightening thesecond fastener in each third aperture to compress the gasket sealpositioned between the cover plate and the cover ring, and compress theadhesive positioned between the cover ring and the mounting surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described below and with reference to theattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a prior art roof mounting adapterbeing installed on a roof of a structure by removing portions of theroof membrane and underlying insulation to expose the roof deckingtherebelow;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a roof mount adapter of the presentinvention installed on a roof of a structure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the roof mount adapter of FIG.2 illustrating an anchor plate, a ring cover and a cover plate of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cover plate depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the ring cover depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the anchor plate depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the roof mount adapter taken alonglines 7-7 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the anchor plate of the roof mountadapter installed to a roof structure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the roof mount adapter taken alonglines 8-8 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the cover plate of the roof mountadapter mounted to the anchor plate;

FIGS. 9A and 9B collectively depict a flow diagram of a method forinstalling the roof mount adapter of FIG. 3 on a roof structure;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the roof mount adapter installed onthe roof structure and illustrating a downward force vector beingapplied to the roof mount adapter by the equipment secured thereto;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the present roof mount adapterinstalled on the roof structure and illustrating an upward force vectorbeing applied to the roof mount adapter by the equipment securedthereto; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the present roof mount adapterinstalled on the roof structure and illustrating a lateral force vectorbeing applied to the roof mount adapter by the equipment securedthereto.

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, identical referencenumerals have been used, when appropriate, to designate the same orsimilar elements that are common to the figures. Further, unless statedotherwise, the features shown in the figures are not drawn to scale, butare shown for illustrative purposes only.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 2-8, there is shown a preferred embodiment of aroof mount adapter 200 suitable for use to anchor and otherwise secureequipment and hardware devices to a roof 100 of a building or otheredifice or structure (not shown). The roof mount adapter 200 of thepresent invention is suitable for installation on many different typesof roof structures, and is particularly suitable for commercial flatmembrane type roofs. Examples of well-known flat or low-sloped membraneroofs include an insulated, multi-ply build-up roof; a single ormulti-ply modified Bitumen roof; an insulated single ply, mechanicallyattached roof; and an insulated, single-ply fully adhered roof. Commonto these types of flat style roofs is a lowermost support structureformed by, for example, an 18-22 gauge steel deck 114 of the typeillustratively shown in FIG. 1, which is covered by one or more layersof insulation/insulation board 116, and a top cover layer 112 formed bycap sheets or a roofing membrane.

Advantageously, the roof mounting adapter of the present inventionmanages and distributes downward, (i.e., “compression”), upward (i.e.,“up-lift”), and lateral (i.e., “shearing”) loads, while free-floatingabove the structural roof deck 114 so as not to damage or otherwisecrush the underlying insulation 116 or the roof membrane 112. The loadmanagement and distribution is provided by a novel structure which isconfigured to capture the heads of roofing screws, which are used tofasten the roof mounting adapter to the roof deck, between a bottom(“anchor”) plate and a top (“cover”) plate which collectively form theroof mounting adapter of the present invention.

For sake of better understanding the invention and use of consistentterms, the roof mount adapter is described herein as attaching to a roofstructure of an edifice or building, supporting and securing varioustypes of equipment and hardware structures to the roof of the edifice orbuilding, and being generally circular in shape. However, a person ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the roof mount adapter isnot limited to being mounted to just roof structures, but can beinstalled on any flat surface (e.g., flooring, a sidewall, etc.) inwhich one or more fasteners can be utilized to attach or otherwise mountthe roof mount adapter to the flat surface. Furthermore, a person ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the roof mount adapter200 can be configured to interface with various types of brackets 250,hardware devices and/or fasteners for securing the equipment andstructures (e.g., air conditioning units, solar panels, cellularantennas, rails, piping, among other structures and frames) to the roofsurface. Moreover, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat the illustrative circular shape of the roof mount adapter is notlimiting, and can be configured in other well-known shapes, such asrectangular, oval, triangular, or any other shape including customizedshapes for purposes of securing the equipment to the surface of the roof110.

Moreover, although the roof mount adapter is illustratively described asbeing substantially planar, a person of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that the roof mount adapter can alternatively be customizedto include angled surfaces or portions to enable mounting of the adapterto corresponding angled portions of the roof surface. For example, theroof mount adapter can be configured as a generally L-shaped adaptor toattach to a corresponding portion of a roof where substantially verticaland horizontal roof structures intersect to form a right angle or cornersection of the roof. Accordingly, the roof mount adapter can beconfigured to correspond to and mount at or proximate the vertex orvertices where two or more planes formed by roof surfaces intersections.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the roof mount adapter 200 includes ananchor plate 202, a cover ring 220 and a cover plate 230. The anchorplate 202 is generally planar having a substantially flat lower surfacethat is suitable for mounting over and interfacing with the roofcovering 112 of a roof structure 110. The cover ring 220 is mounted overthe periphery of the anchor plate 202, preferably with an adhesivematerial 203, and the cover plate 230 is mounted over the cover ring 220and the anchor plate 202, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Inone embodiment and as discussed in further detail below with respect toFIGS. 10-12, the fasteners 219 (e.g., self-tapping roof screws) securethe anchor plate 202 to the roof structure 100 to provide additionalsupport at the lower surface of the cover plate 230. Moreover, the heads217 of the fasteners 219 are captured and locked between the uppersurface of the anchor plate 202 and the lower surface of the cover plate230 to transfer downward forces, upward forces and lateral forces fromthe equipment to the roof deck 114 without crushing or otherwisecompromising the roof insulation 116 and roof membrane 114.

The anchor plate 202 and cover plate 230 are preferably fabricated frommachined, high-strength aluminum or stainless steel, although otherdurable and weather resistant materials and/or composites can beutilized. The cover ring 220 is preferably fabricated from aconstruction grade polymer such as high density polyethylene (HDPE)among other “plastic” materials, although other durable materials and/orcomposites (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, ceramics and the like) canbe utilized.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the anchor plate 202 includes a plurality offirst apertures 204 for receiving the roof deck fasteners 219 and aplurality of second apertures 206 for securing the cover plate 230thereto. In particular, the cover plate 230 includes a plurality ofthird apertures 232 which are positioned and aligned with the pluralityof second apertures 206 of the anchor plate 202 so that a correspondingfastener 231 can extend through the second and third apertures to securethe cover plate 230 to the anchor plate 202. The cover plate 230 alsoincludes one or more fourth apertures 234 for securing an externalobject to the roof mounting adapter 200. Optionally, the anchor plate202 can further include one or more fifth apertures 212, whichcorrespond to and are positioned and aligned with the one or more fourthapertures 234 of the cover plate 230.

The anchor plate 202 includes a raised shoulder portion 208 extendingupwardly from a peripheral flange portion 210. In one embodiment, theshoulder portion 208 has a thickness of approximately ⅓ inch and adiameter of approximately 5¼ inches, and the flange 210 has a thicknessof approximately ⅛^(th) inch and a peripheral diameter of 6¼ inches. Thedimensions of the anchor plate 202 are for illustrative purposes and arenot considered limiting. The flange 210 extends outwardly along thelower portion of the anchor plate 202 and serves as a peripheral rim oredge of the anchor plate 202 for receiving a portion of the cover ring220, as described below in further detail.

The shoulder portion 208 includes the plurality of first apertures 204(e.g., unthreaded apertures) for receiving the roof deck fasteners 219,such as self drilling No. 14 or No. 15 standard roof screws. Theshoulder portion 208 further includes the plurality of second apertures(e.g., threaded apertures) 206 for receiving a fastener (e.g., threadedbolt) for securing the cover plate 230 to the anchor plate 202.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in the illustrative embodiment shown, six firstunthreaded apertures 204 and four second threaded apertures 206 extendthrough the upper and lower surfaces of the anchor plate 202.Alternatively, the second threaded apertures 206 can be formed asthreaded counter-bores which extend partially through the upper surfaceof the anchor plate 202. The plurality of first apertures 204 are spacedequidistantly apart from each other. Likewise, the plurality of secondapertures 206 are spaced equidistantly apart from each other.Preferably, the first and second apertures 204, 206 are formed in normaldirection with respect to the upper surface of the anchor plate 202,although such perpendicular direction is not considered limiting. Forexample, one or more of the first and second apertures 204, 206 can beformed at angles (e.g., offset 30 degrees from normal) through theanchor plate 202. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat the illustrative quantity, positioning, spacing and angling of thefirst and second apertures 204, 206 shown in the drawings is notconsidered limiting. Preferably, each of the first apertures 204 has adiameter sized to receive the elongated shaft of a roofing screw 219.

Referring to FIG. 7, the upper surface of the shoulder portion 208preferably includes a counter-bore 205 formed about each first aperture204 to receive and retain a portion of the head of the roof screw 219therein. The counter-bore 205 has a depth that is sized and dimensionedto allow the roof screw 219 to protrude slightly above the upper surfaceof the shoulder portion 208 when the screw 219 is inserted. In thismanner and as described in further detail with respect to FIGS. 10-12,when the cover plate 220 is secured to the anchor plate 202, a slightgap 262 is formed between the upper surface of the shoulder portion 208and the lower surface of the cover plate 220. The gap 262 is preferablyin a range of 0.031 inches to 0.051 inches, although the distance (e.g.,height) of the gap is not considered limiting. The loads (e.g., downwardloads) from the equipment are transferred directly to the supportdecking 114 positioned below the roof surface 112 via the heads 217 andcorresponding shanks of the roof screws 219. In this manner, thetransfer of the load forces from the equipment to the underlying roofmembrane 112 and insulation 116 are avoided. Rather, the loads from theequipment are directed through the elongated roofing screws 219 andtransferred directly to the underlying roof decking 114.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, the shoulder portion 208 of the anchorplate 202 includes the one or more fifth aperture(s) 212 for receiving athird (equipment mounting) fastener (e.g., bolt) 244, which canillustratively be used for securing a bracket 250 or other fasteningdevice to retain the roof equipment. The one or more fifth apertures 212are positioned and aligned with the corresponding one or more fourthapertures 234 formed in the cover plate 230. In one embodiment, acentral fifth aperture 212 (hereinafter “central fifth aperture 212”) isa single aperture formed at a central location of the anchor plate 202,and a single fourth aperture 234 (hereinafter “central fourth aperture234”) is formed at a corresponding central location of the cover plate230. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thenumber, positioning and spacing of the fifth aperture(s) 212 is notconsidered limiting. As illustratively shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the atleast one fifth aperture 212 can extend partially through the uppersurface of the shoulder portion 208 of the anchor plate 202 to serve asa depth-constrained counter-bore for retaining the head of the bolt 244.

For example, the fifth aperture 212 can be circular in shape (not shown)so that the bottom surface of the depth-constrained counter-boreprevents the bolt 244 from turning due to the frictional forces formedbetween the bottom surface of the bolt head and the adjacent bottominterfacing surface of the counter-bore. In an alternative embodiment,the fifth aperture 212 can be a depth-constrained counter-bore that isconfigured to correspond in size and shape to the bolt head, e.g., ahex-shaped bolt head, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. In thismanner, both the sidewalls and the bottom surface of the fifth aperture212 retain the bolt head to prevent the bolt 244 from turning. In yetanother embodiment, the fifth aperture 212 can extend completely throughthe anchor plate 202. In this latter embodiment, it is preferable thatthe fifth aperture 212 be configured (i.e., sized and shaped) tocorrespond to the configuration of the bolt head, e.g., a hex-shapedbolt head, as illustratively shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, thesidewall surfaces of the fifth aperture 212 interface with and retainthe bolt head to prevent the bolt 244 from turning.

Referring again to FIG. 7, the anchor plate 202 is illustratively shownmounted over a flat surface of a roof 110. The anchor plate 202 issecured to the roof decking 114 via the fasteners 219 (e.g., selfdrilling/tapping roof screws), each of which extends through the roofmembrane 112, the insulation, and the roof decking 114 therebelow.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 5, the cover ring 220 includes a centralopening 222 that is configured in size and shape to receive andcircumscribe the periphery of the shoulder portion 208 of the anchorplate 202. The cover ring 220 also includes an inwardly extending flange226, which is sized to reside or mount over the flange 210 of the anchorplate 202. Preferably, the exterior surface 221 of the cover ring 220 issloped downwards towards the surface 112 of the roof to direct liquids(e.g., rain water) away from the roof mount adapter 200, asillustratively shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, the cover plate 230 is mounteddirectly over the shoulder portion 208 of the anchor plate 202 and theinwardly extending flange 226 of the cover ring 220. The cover plate 230has generally planar upper and lower surfaces and a diameter or outercircumference substantially equal to the diameter or outer circumferenceof the anchor plate 202. Optionally and as illustratively shown in thedrawings, the upper surface of the inwardly extending flange 226 of thecover ring 220 includes a gasket seat 228 which can be in the form of agroove, channel, or recess and the like. The gasket seat 228 isconfigured for receiving a ring gasket 260. The ring gasket 260 ispositioned between the lower surface of the cover plate 230 and theupper surface of the inwardly extending flange 226. The ring gasket 260can be a preformed, expanding urethane foam gasket, or formed by a beadof acrylic and/or silicone caulking, among other well-known exterior,water-resistant types of gaskets fabricated from materials that aredurable and suitable for extended exposure in outdoor environments(e.g., hot and/or cold temperatures, radiation from the sun, and thelike). The ring gasket 260 can have a compressed thickness in the rangeof 0.031 to 0.051 inches and is preferably 0.031 inches.

A plurality of third apertures 232 extend through the upper and lowersurfaces of the cover plate 230 and are spaced apart and positioned inalignment with the second apertures 206 of the anchor plate 202. Eachthird aperture 232 is preferably unthreaded and has a diameter sized toreceive the threaded shank of a bolt 231. The threaded bolt 231 (e.g.,5/16 inch bolt) extends through the third aperture 232 and is threadedinto a corresponding aligned second aperture 206 of the anchor plate202.

Preferably, a counter-bore or groove 242 is formed in the upper surface233 of the cover plate 230 in at least an area partially circumscribingeach third aperture 232. The counter-bore or groove 242 provides arecess for the head of the corresponding bolt 231 to minimizeinterference by the head of the bolt 231 with the bracket/fastener 250or support member of the chassis used for mounting the equipment beinginstalled. The bolts 231 secure the cover plate 230 to the anchor plate202 as illustratively shown in FIG. 7. As noted, preferably, theexterior periphery of the cover plate 230 is inclined downwardly so thatfluids can run off from the upper surface 233 of the cover plate 230,down the sloped surface of the cover ring 220, and away from the roofmount adapter 200. Further, the upper exterior surface 233 of the coverplate 230 is illustratively shown as being substantially planar in FIGS.7 and 8. However, the upper surface 233 can be domed, i.e., convex inshape to also help direct liquids away from the roof mount adapter 200.

As noted above, the cover plate 230 includes at least one fourthaperture 234 (i.e., the “central fourth aperture 234”) for receiving anequipment mounting fastener (e.g., bolt) 244 to secure a bracket 250 orother fastening device for retaining the roof equipment. The centralfourth aperture 234 is illustratively a single aperture formed at acentral location of the cover plate 220. The central fourth aperture 234is configured (i.e., sized and shaped) to receive the equipment mountingfastener (e.g., ⅜ inch bolt) 244. Accordingly, one or more pairs offourth and fifth apertures 224 and 212 can be provided to secure anobject, e.g., equipment or hardware device, to the roof mount adapter200 of the present invention. Preferably, the at least one centralfourth aperture 234 is threaded so that the corresponding bolt 244 canbe fully threaded therein.

As described above, the fifth aperture 212 is preferably provided toreceive the head of the bolt 244 and prevent the upright extending bolt244 from turning. Alternatively, the fifth aperture 212 can be optional(e.g., not formed in the anchor plate 202 or not used if present), andthe bolt 244 can be secured directly to the upper surface 233 of thecover plate 230. In this alternative embodiment, the bolt 244 extendsdownwardly in the opposite direction of the previous embodiment and isthreadedly engaged directly with the fourth aperture 234 to secure anobject to the roof mount adapter 200. In this latter embodiment, thebolt 244 is secured only to the cover plate 230, and if the fifthaperture 212 is present, it can provide additional space for the shankof the bolt 244 to extend downwardly therein.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 and 7, a keying mechanism or arrangement 213can be provided to align the cover plate 230 with the anchor plate 202.In one embodiment, the keying arrangement 213 includes a first bore 214formed in the anchor plate 202 and a second bore 236 provided in thecover plate 230. The first and second bores 214 and 236 preferably havethe same diameter and are sized to receive a pin 240 therethrough. Thebores 214 and/or 236 and pin 240 collectively serve as female and malekeying members for aligning the anchor plate 202 and the cover plate 230so that the second apertures 206 and the third apertures 232 areproperly aligned during installation. Although the pin 240 isillustratively shown as an independent component, a person of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the pin 240 can be integral andextend vertically upward from the shoulder portion 208 of the anchorplate 202 or extend vertically downward from the lower surface of thecover plate 230. For example, the pin 240 can be press-fit into thefirst bore 214 of the anchor plate or the second bore 236 of the coverplate 220 during the manufacturing process of the roof mount adapter200.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, a bracket 250 associated with theequipment or hardware being mounted is fastened to the roof mountadapter 200 by the third (equipment mounting) fastener, i.e., bolt 244,washer and nut 246. The bracket 250 is shown for illustrative purposesand does not form a part of the roof mount adapter 200 of the presentinvention.

As also shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, upon completing the installation of theroof mounting adapter 200 of the surface of the roof 110, the lowersurface of the cover plate 230 is spaced apart from the upper surface(i.e., shoulder portion 208) of the anchor plate 202. The spacingbetween the upper surface of the anchor plate 202 and lower surface ofthe cover plate 230 is defined by the height of the heads of the roofscrews 219. The roof screws 219 are commercially available roofingfasteners, e.g., heavy duty or extra heavy duty roofing screws such as,for example, model HD (No. 14) or XHD (No. 15) roof screws manufacturedby OMG Roofing Products, located in Agawam, Mass. 01001, USA. The roofscrews 219 can have a head portion with a height in a range of 0.010 to0.0151 inches, and are preferably 0.0131 inches in height. In mostinstances, variations in the roofing screws 219 as between the differentfastener manufactures is deemed inconsequential, as long as the screwhead height is the same (i.e., uniform) in each of the correspondingfirst apertures 204 to secure the anchor plate 202 to the roof decking114.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, a flow diagram of a method 900 forinstalling the roof mount adapter 200 of FIGS. 2-8 on a roof structure110 is illustratively shown. Referring to FIG. 9A, the method 900 beginsat step 901, where a local site on a flat surface of a roof is selectedfor installing the equipment and/or hardware on the roof 110. Asdescribed above, the equipment and/or hardware can be an airconditioning unit, solar panels, a heat exchanger, protective railing,and the like. Moreover, the present method is not limited to beingpracticed on roof surfaces, but can be performed on any substantiallyflat surface, including a floor, wall, and/or ceiling of a structure.

At step 902 and also referring to FIG. 3, a base gasket 201 ispositioned over the predetermined location on the roof surface.Specifically, the exterior surface 112 of the roof 110 is initiallycleared at the immediate area beneath and around the site where the basegasket 201 is placed. This area can be “broom cleaned” by clearing anyroof gravel, bird droppings and/or other undesirable debris that may bepresent. The base gasket 201 is positioned on the cleared roofingsurface.

The base gasket 201 is shaped and dimensioned to conform to the shapeand dimensions of the lower surface of the anchor plate 202. The basegasket 201 can be a commercially available preformed expanding urethanefoam gasket, a layer of acrylic and/or silicone caulking, or otherwell-known gaskets or sealants that are suitable for outdoor use inenvironments which are subject to hot and cold temperature changes. Themethod 900 then proceeds to step 904.

At step 904, the bottom (“anchor”) plate 202 is positioned and mountedover the base gasket 201. In particular, at step 906, the anchor plate202 is secured to the roof decking 114 by a plurality of self-drillingroof screws 219. The self-drilling roof screws 219 are commerciallyavailable and do not form a part of the present invention. An example ofa commercially available self-drilling roof screw is a No. 14 or No. 15standard roof screw having a length of 6 inches. A person of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that the size of the screw isdetermined by the thickness of the roof, i.e., the combination of theroof membrane 112, the insulation 116 and the roof decking 114. The headof the roof screw 219 can be, for example, a hex-shaped or Philips headscrew which can easily be driven directly through the roof membrane 112,the insulation layer(s) 116 and into the roof decking 114 by using apower tool such as an electric power drill, screw gun or pneumatic tool.As such, the screws 219 are driven through the exterior surface of theroof 110 to secure the anchor plate 202 to the roof decking 114 withouttearing the roof membrane 112 or crushing the insulation 116 therebelow.

At step 908 and also referring back to FIG. 3, an adhesive 203 isapplied around the circumference of the anchor plate 202. The adhesive203 is used to secure the cover ring 220 over the anchor plate 202. Theadhesive 203 can be any commercially available low-rise urethane roofadhesive, such as model ANDEK 950 Expandable Urethane Adhesive,manufactured by ANDEK Corporation of Moorestown, N.J. 08057, USA. Aperson of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other types ofcommercially available adhesives can be utilized which are suitable foroutdoor roofing applications, including acrylic, silicone and the like,which are resistant to hot and cold temperature changes and/or sunlightradiation. At step 910, the cover ring 220 is mounted over the adhesivecircumscribing the perimeter of the anchor plate 202. The inwardlyextending flange 226 of the cover ring 220 overlaps the anchor plateflange 210, as illustratively shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The method 900then proceeds to step 912, where the ring gasket 260 is placed on thegasket seat 228 of the cover ring 220.

At step 914, the equipment mounting fastener, e.g., the bolt 244 isinserted through the central fourth aperture 234 formed in the coverplate 230. For example, the bolt 244 is fully threaded into the centralfourth aperture 234. Alternatively, the head of the bolt 244 is insertedinto the central fifth aperture 212 formed in the anchor plate 202. Inthis alternative embodiment, the central fifth aperture 212 can behex-shaped to correspond to the bolt head, and the central fourthaperture 234 can be an unthreaded bore. By either technique, the shaftof the bolt 244 extends upright (e.g., perpendicular) from the uppersurface 233 of the cover plate 230 or anchor plate 202, respectively, asillustratively shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Recall that the equipmentmounting fastener (e.g., bolt) 244 is provided to secure a mountingbracket or the frame/chassis of the equipment to the upper surface 233of the cover plate 230. A person of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that a plurality of bolts 244 or other equipment mountingfasteners and corresponding apertures can be provided in the anchorplate 202 and cover plate 230 to secure a bracket 250 or theframe/chassis of the equipment to the upper surface 233 of the coverplate 230. The method 900 then proceeds to step 916.

Referring to FIG. 9B, at step 916, the cover plate is aligned over theanchor plate 202 and cover ring 220. In particular, the third apertures232 formed in the cover plate 230 are positioned and aligned with thesecond threaded apertures 206 formed in the anchor plate 202. Thealignment of the two plates can be performed by hand, and is preferablydone by using the keying arrangement 213, which includes aligning thepin 240 with the corresponding first bore 214 or second bore 236. Forexample, if the pin 240 is press-fitted into the first bore 214 andextends upwards, the second bore 236 is aligned with the upper portionof the pin 240 as the cover plate 230 is lowered onto the cover ringgasket 260 of the cover ring 220.

The alignment step also requires the bolt 244 to be properly seated inthe central fifth aperture 212 of the anchor plate 202. Preferably, thebolt 244 is first threaded through the central fourth aperture 234. Asdescribed above, in one embodiment the central fifth aperture 212 isshaped and sized to conform to the shape of the head of the bolt 244 tokeep the bolt 244 in an upright position and prevent the bolt shaft frominadvertently turning. The bolt 244 is loosely threaded all the way intothe central fourth aperture 234 and as the cover plate 230 is loweredonto the cover ring gasket 260, the bolt 244 can be rotated by hand tocoincide and properly seat within the hex-shaped central fourth aperture234 to prevent further turning thereof. In an alternative embodiment,the central fifth aperture 212 is a depth constrained counter-bore 212having a circular shape. In this alternative embodiment, the bolt 244 isthreaded (e.g., all the way) into the central fourth aperture 234 and asthe cover plate 230 is lowered onto the cover ring gasket 260, the headof the bolt 244 is seated within the depth-constrained counter-bore 212as the cover plate 230 is lowered thereon. The surface of the bolt headcontacts the adjacent (e.g., upper) surface of the depth-constrainedcounter-bore 212 (and the lower surface of the cover plate 230) and thefrictional forces therebetween help prevent further turning of the bolt244 when a fastener, e.g., nut 246 is tightened thereon. The method 900then proceeds to step 918.

At step 918, the cover plate 230 is secured to the anchor plate 202 withthe second fasteners, i.e., bolts 231. Specifically, the bolts 231 passthrough the third apertures 232 and are threaded into the correspondingsecond apertures 206 provided in the anchor plate 202. Preferably, flatand/or gasket washers are provided adjacent each bolt head 231 toprovide a smooth waterproof surface for the bolt 231 to bear on and todistribute the pressure of the bolt 231 evenly over the area beingsecured to minimize damage thereto.

At step 920, the desired equipment mounting bracket 250 (or support legor mount of the equipment chassis) is attached to the third fastener(i.e., bolt) 244. As illustratively shown in FIG. 2, a bracket 250 issecured to the bolt 244 with a washer and nut 24. The method 900 thenproceeds to step 999, where the method 900 ends. If additional roofmount adapters 200 are required to support the equipment (e.g., solarpanels, air conditioning units, and the like), the method 900 isrepeated at each predetermined location where the roof mount adapter 200is to be installed. Once all of the required roof mount adapters 200have been properly attached to the surface of the roof 110 at theirdesignated locations, the equipment can be securely installed thereon.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the sequenceof the steps of method 900 are not considered limiting. Illustratively,step 914 can be eliminated or modified since a roofer/equipmenttechnician can alternatively insert the third fastener, e.g., bolt 244in a reverse (downwardly) direction through the upper surface 233 of thecover plate 230. In this instance, the head of the bolt 244 will notextend upright and/or be seated in the fifth aperture 212 of the anchorplate 202. Rather, the head of the bolt 244 will extend downwardly andreside along the upper surface 233 of the cover plate 230. That is, step920 can be modified such that the third fastener 244 is used to attachthe bracket 250 or hardware to the upper surface 233 of the cover plate230. Accordingly, attachment of the third fastener 244 would occur afterthe cover plate 230 has been secured to the anchor plate 202.

Referring now to FIGS. 10-12, depicted are cross-sectional views of theroof mount adapter 200 installed on the roof structure 110 andillustrating a downward (“compressive”), upward (“uplift”) and lateral(“shearing”) forces respectively being applied to the roof mount adapterby the equipment secured thereto. Referring now to FIG. 10, a downwardcompressive force vector is illustratively shown by arrow 270.

The downward force vector 270 has a magnitude that corresponds at leastin part to the distributed total weight of the equipment exerted on theroof mount adapter 200. A person of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that other forces from wind, snow, ice, tension wires and thelike can further contribute to the magnitude (and direction) of thedownward force vector 270. The magnitude or load on each roof mountadapter is dependent on the quantity and positioning of the roof mountadapters 200 used to support the equipment on the roof, as well as theweight of the equipment distributed over the roof mount adapter 200.

For example, consider a chassis including four support legs forsupporting a symmetrically shaped solar panel having a total weight of160 Kilograms (Kg) which is evenly distributed over the structure. Whenthe chassis and solar panel are installed and supported by four roofmount adapters 200 of the present invention, the total weight of theequipment is evenly distributed among the four installed roof mountadapters 200, i.e., each roof mount adapter will have a downward forcevector 270 with a magnitude of 40 Kg (160 Kg/4).

The downward force 270 is transferred to the roof decking 114 via eachelongated screw 219, as shown by arrows 271. That is, each elongatedscrew 219 distributes the downward force from the equipment 250 to theroof decking 114. Continuing with the example above, if there are sixelongated screws 219 used to secure the anchor plate 202 to the roof110, then each screw 219 will support a proportion of the downward forcemagnitude associated with the total magnitude experienced by the roofmount adapter. In the present example in which each roof mount adapterhas a downward force magnitude of 40 Kg, each screw 291 of the roofmount adapter will support approximately one-sixth of the total downwardforce vector, i.e., 6.667 Kg (40 Kg/6).

Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 12, in FIG. 11, an upward force vector isillustratively shown by arrow 272. Similarly, in FIG. 12, a lateralforce vector is illustratively shown by arrow 274. An upward force 272and lateral force 274 can be applied to the equipment 250 and the roofmount adapter 200 by upwardly and laterally directed winds, tensionwires and other external forces. The upwardly directed force 272 isdistributed as an upward force component on each elongated screw 219 asindicated by arrows 273 in FIG. 11. Similarly, the laterally directedforce 274 is distributed as a lateral force component on each elongatedscrew 219 as indicated by arrows 275 in FIG. 12.

Accordingly, each screw 219 will transfer a proportion of the total sumof the downward, upward and lateral forces 270, 272 and 274 to theunderlying roof decking 114. The anchor fasteners (i.e., roofing screws)219 which will be selected for use are in accordance with the screwmanufacturer's specifications and ratings to withstand the maximumcombined downward, upward and lateral loads that may be experienced onthe roof 110. In this manner, the elongated roof screws 219 willmaintain the roof mount adapter 200 in its selected position on the roofsurface 112 and at a predetermined height above the roof decking 114 toprevent damaging and/or crushing of the insulation 116 therebetween whenexposed to the combined (or net) downward, upward and lateral forces.

As described above, the roof mount adapter of the present inventionenables a roofer or equipment installation technician to install orotherwise mount equipment on a generally flat roof surface. Moreover,the roofer/technician does not have to cut away the roofing membrane andinsulation to expose the underlying roof decking 114 to subsequentlymount the equipment mounting adapter as required in the prior art.Advantageously, the roof mount adapter of the present inventioneliminates the need to expose the underlying roof decking and furtherhaving to patch the damaged roof during the installation process toprevent water leakage.

As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the abovedescription, other embodiments can be derived by obvious modificationsand variations of the apparatus and methods disclosed. The scope of theinvention is therefore to be determined by the claims that follow.

I claim:
 1. A mounting adapter for attaching an object to a generallyflat surface comprising: a generally planar anchor plate having an uppersurface and a lower surface, and a plurality of first aperturesextending therethrough the upper and lower surfaces, each first aperturebeing configured to receive a first elongated fastener having a lengthsufficient to extend therethrough the anchor plate and securely fastento a support structure positioned beneath the generally flat surface,and a plurality of second apertures extending at least through the uppersurface; a generally planar cover plate having an upper surface and alower surface, the lower surface of said cover plate being positionedover the upper surface of said anchor plate and having a plurality ofthird apertures extending therethrough the upper and lower surfaces ofthe cover plate, said plurality of third apertures corresponding to andbeing positioned in alignment with said plurality of second apertures; asecond fastener configured to extend through each said third apertureand securely engage with a corresponding one of the plurality of secondapertures of said anchor plate for securely mounting said cover plateover said anchor plate; and wherein said cover plate further includesone or more fourth apertures formed in at least said upper surface ofthe cover plate, each fourth aperture being configured to receive acorresponding third fastener for securing the object to the mountingadapter.
 2. The mounting adapter of claim 1, further comprising a ringcover having an outer portion circumscribing the anchor plate and aninner portion positioned between the lower surface of the cover plateand the upper surface of the anchor plate.
 3. The mounting adapter ofclaim 1, further comprising a ring gasket positioned between an uppersurface of the inner portion of the ring cover and the lower surface ofthe cover plate.
 4. The mounting adapter of claim 1, further comprisinga gap formed between the lower surface of the cover plate and the uppersurface of the anchor plate.
 5. The mounting adapter of claim 4, whereinsaid gap is formed by a head portion of each first elongated fastenerextending upwardly from the upper surface of the anchor plate.
 6. Themounting adapter of claim 5, wherein the lower surface of the coverplate provides a resultant force vector on the head and along thelongitudinal axis of each first elongated fastener.
 7. The mountingadapter of claim 1, wherein each first aperture includes a counter-borefor receiving a head portion of a corresponding one of the plurality offirst elongated fasteners.
 8. The mounting adapter of claim 1, whereinthe second apertures of the anchor plate and the corresponding alignedthird apertures of the cover plate are spaced equidistantly apart fromeach other.
 9. The mounting adapter of claim 1, wherein each of theplurality of second apertures is a threaded aperture and each secondfastener is a correspondingly dimensioned threaded bolt.
 10. Themounting adapter of claim 1, wherein the cover plate and the anchorplate include a keying arrangement for aligning the cover plate over theanchor plate.
 11. The mounting adapter of claim 1, wherein the one ormore fourth apertures extend through at least a portion of said uppersurface of the cover plate, and each fourth aperture is configured toreceive a corresponding one of the third fasteners.
 12. The mountingadapter of claim 11, wherein the one or more fourth apertures arethreaded apertures and each third fastener is a bolt.
 13. The mountingadapter of claim 1, wherein the one or more fourth apertures extendthrough said upper and lower surfaces of the cover plate, and eachfourth aperture is configured to receive a corresponding one of thethird fasteners extending upwardly from the upper surface of the coverplate.
 14. The mounting adapter of claim 1, wherein the anchor plateincludes one or more fifth apertures extending through at least aportion of the upper surface of the anchor plate, each fifth aperturebeing aligned with a corresponding one of the fourth apertures andconfigured to receive a head portion of the third fastener for attachingthe object to the mounting adapter.
 15. A mounting adapter for attachingan object to a mounting surface, comprising: a generally planar anchorplate having opposing planar surfaces and a plurality of first aperturesextending therethrough the opposing surfaces, and a plurality ofthreaded apertures extending therethrough the opposing surfaces of theanchor plate, the plurality of first apertures being configured anddimensioned to receive a first elongated fastener having a lengthsufficient to extend and securely fasten to a support structure locatedbeneath the mounting surface to attach said anchor plate to the mountingsurface; a generally planar cover plate having opposing planar surfacesand configured to mount over said anchor plate, the cover plate having aplurality of third apertures which are configured and arranged to alignwith said plurality of threaded apertures of the anchor plate, and oneor more fourth apertures; a threaded fastener extending through eachsaid plurality of third apertures and threadedly engaged with each saidrespective threaded aperture of said anchor plate to securely attachsaid cover plate to said anchor plate such that a gap is formedtherebetween the generally planar anchor and cover plates; and one ormore third fasteners configured to interface with the one or more fourthapertures of the cover plate for attaching the object to the mountingadapter.
 16. A method for attaching an object to a mounting surface witha mounting adapter, the mounting adapter comprising an anchor platehaving a plurality of first apertures and a plurality of secondapertures; and a cover plate having a plurality of third aperturesextending therethrough, each third aperture configured to align with acorresponding second aperture of the anchor plate, and at least onefourth aperture configured to receive a corresponding third fastener,the method comprising the steps of: positioning the anchor plate on themounting surface at a predetermined location; inserting an elongatedfastener through a corresponding one of said first apertures; securingeach elongated fastener to a predetermined support structure positionedbeneath the mounting surface for attaching said anchor plate to themounting surface; mounting the cover plate over the anchor plate suchthat each of the plurality of third apertures is positioned and axiallyaligned with each of the corresponding plurality of second apertures ofthe anchor plate; inserting a second fastener through a correspondingone of said third apertures; securing each second fastener to acorresponding second aperture in said anchor plate for firmly attachingsaid cover plate to said anchor plate; and securing at least one thirdfastener to a corresponding one of the at least one fourth aperture forattaching the object to the mounting adapter.
 17. The method of claim 16further comprising the steps of: installing a base gasket on themounting surface at the predetermined location prior to positioning theanchor plate thereon; and positioning a lower surface of the anchorplate on the base gasket.
 18. The method of claim 16 further comprisingthe step of mounting a ring cover over the anchor plate prior tomounting the cover plate.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprisingthe step of applying an adhesive to an area of the mounting surfacecircumscribing the anchor plate prior to mounting the ring cover. 20.The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of mounting a gasketseal over the cover ring prior to mounting the cover plate.